A Beginner's Guide for Showing Cattle

Finding The Shows

Once you’ve put in the hard work of training your animal and perfecting your handling technique, the next step is to show the animal and display your skills. Cattle associations are a great source to find out about local and national events. They’ll be able to point you in the right direction, as well, and give you additional information you’ll need about what classes you and your animal(s) are eligible to enter.

Preparing for The Show

Halter Breaking

Halter breaking is all about patience and practice. Go slow and don’t rush the process. You never ever want to hit your animal. Your goal is to earn the animal’s trust and respect. You’re building a relationship with your animal and that takes time, plain and simple. Have a gentle, compassionate hand and be willing to devote time to the worthwhile effort of teaching your animal to respect the halter. One way to build this trust is to be regular in your interactions with the animal. Develop a routine and stick with it. Soon the animal will know what to expect from you and will learn to respond accordingly. Don’t give up! No two animals are the same and some will be more stubborn than others. Be confident and consistent in your approach.